Total Eclipse on Sisi Butte
After altering my plans to see the eclipse several time because of wild fire closers I final found a place to watch the eclipse. Not as good as plan A but still a minute and forty-five seconds of something outstanding. I drove down Sunday morning to find a campsite by Lemiti Butte. I spent the day hiking and exploring to find a good spot to watch the eclipse from. I settled on Sisi Butte. On Monday I hiked back up to Sisi lookout and join about 25 other folks to watch the eclipse. It was surprising cold it got and how the wind picked up as the totality neared. After waiting an hour for totality when it arrived it hit quick and went just as fast. The most amazing part was to have a 360 degree sunset.
The place was filling up when I got there Sunday morning but I was able to find a space that worked just fine.
The road to my camp and around the area were not intended for small low clearance cars.
Getting close to the top of Lemiti Butte.
I was hoping on top of Lemiti Butte, on top of these rocks would be my spot to watch the eclipse.
From the top of the Butte I had a view north but no view east or west.
So this spot won’t work and now I have to get down.
Back bushwhacking through the dead trees and new trees coming up.
Someone I met in the camp area told me I should check out Sisi Butte Lookout as a place to watch the eclipse so off I went.
I found a relatively new and manned fire lookout on top of the butte.
The butte had pretty good views and no smoke like Mt. Jefferson.
Olallie Butte I knew was going to crowded and my car would not make the dirt road.
Jefferson with some smoke on it. All of that area had been closed off by the forest service.
Sun setting through the burnt trees. Tomorrow I would hike back up to Sisi Butte to see the eclipse.
I was up early and did some exploring to see where some of the roads in the area went.
It was a cold morning and the sun slowly came up on the ghost forest.
I walked a little ways down 4220 but later heard from others that the road gets much worse.
Sunday I hike part way up Sisi Butte with Dave. He spent the night and now just waiting for the show.
Only forest service folks allowed on the tower. About a dozen folks camped out on the buttes and their tents were tucked in where they could find a spot.
One group of folk wait for the eclipse at the helo pad.
A group of folks under the tower waiting for the eclipse.
It about an hour and 20 minutes to reach totality. This gave time to build the excitement.
At this point it was getting darker and colder. I had to get into my pack and get a polar fleece to put on.
We were just starting to see a slight shadow to the west.
Hood would not be in totality but was in a twilight.
Some how I got lucky and got a shot of the total eclipse. We had about a minute forty of total eclipse and just as quick as it came it went.
Totality hit fast and confusion took hold. Camera setting that were set for day had to be quickly change to night.
Daylight quickly returned and everyone packed up and left. I tried for a couple of post totality shots.
Last look at the tower now in full daylight and blue sky.